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In the recent Lakes Mountain 42 i suspect that a good number were using some kind of GPS. Didn't stop a good number of people going wrong on The Knott.

At the very start on the run out of the village up onto the open fell, i was right up the front, making the most of my road training. We got to a branch in paths, and the guy who was leading at the time (no idea who he was), started along the incorrect path, and within 20 yards looked at his watch and made a sharp cut across onto the correct path.

Not saying it's right/wrong, but if everyone is doing it, it's a race after all. I've not got a GPS watch, i only use a £40 stopwatch type thing, but i don't see why i shouldn't be carrying my hand-held GPS as a back-up....

Got a bit cheesed off in that race by some guy following me, then moaning when we were lost, and had to take a strenuous route across open fell, despite the fact he hadn't a clue where we were he still moaned, then when we reached the easy path down towards Patterdale he sped off never to be seen again.

It's very difficult to police.
Fell running isn't a navigation race but it is a test of fell-craft, and the ability to navigate yourself along the course is an intrinsic part of Fell Craft, IMHO.

Totally agree and herein lies the problem. I don't generally have a problem with anyone using a GPS but I do feel that it is not in the true spirit of the sport (though maybe that's a somewhat outmoded viewpoint from an older generation!). I don't believe they would gain much of an advantage over a well recce'd runner unless the clag comes down when they may definitely do on some races where navigation using traditional means can be challenging and of course reliant on knowing where you are in the first place...

I think using a pre-loaded GPS route on a watch or other device in a race is plain wrong, but have no qualms about using the feature on my Garmin that can give an OS grid reference, which I can cross reference with my map. It's not a substitute for map and compass skills, but is a very useful feature for quick relocation in the clag. Fair-play would dictate you should only use it as a backup to get you out of trouble rather than to gain an advantage. Not that it would make any difference where I am in the field!

Looks like yer fancy £300+ beeping-when-you-go-off-line watches had a fair say in the outcome of the first British champs race in a misty Mourne Mountains at the weekend.

Maybe we should just flag all routes every 10m and have done with it.

This is one of the conversations the hubby had with me on Saturday night after the race. It seems most think it's totally ok to do it. On the start line he heard one conversation where they were on about the clag being down and one of the guys said "I'll be ok. I've downloaded the track to my watch." Another conversation between a runner and a very well know fell runner went like this "So how do I start that track on my watch?" It seems it's totally acceptable.
Personally we think it's no better than sandpapering your balls in cricket. This conversation was had a few weeks ago and someone actually said "It's no different to local guys recceing the course." It's completely different. We went up to cp1 on Friday to recce a bit of if and the hubby made a decision on the line to take. In retrospect he made the wrong decision as it was so close to start that even in 10mtr visibility there was a lot of following going on. The real skill came at the end dropping off Slieve Commedagh where he took a compass bearing and hit the line he wanted to almost spot on. Fell running is not just about who can get around the quickest, it's about knowing how to navigate your way around a course with a map and compass (not a bloody electronic devise), it's about being able to tackle the technical climbs (the hubby need to improve his climbing), it's about knowing the skills to tackle technical descents, it's about you and the fells. If they want a marked course then do a trail race and keep off the fells. The hubby will never win a race but where he comes in one is through his own hard work.
For it to be voiced so unashamedly on the start line just goes to show how some feel. Make it known that it is not acceptable to follow an electronic track in a race. How many places were not a true reflection of that race on Saturday? Blooming shame I call it.

e.g. from Welsh 1000m info: "In the spirit of the race and the interest of fairness the use of GPS is not allowed. If you wish to carry GPS and/or a mobile phone in case of emergency, they should be in a sealed bag and declared at registration."